Proofreading and editing: Copywriting’s close friends

Wordsmithing. It’s such a great word because it captures the entire process of writing. It isn’t just the process of putting words on a page, whether it be a physical or virtual piece of paper.

Writing begins in the mind.

The process starts with an author’s idea, a brand’s vision, or a client’s message. It’s either a quiet moment or a conversation where the writer and the client discuss the message, clarify any issues, and attempt to predict any misunderstandings that certain phrases or words could cause.

Then the writer starts to bring these ideas into the world and the writing part of the process begins.

I don’t want to focus on the writing today, but on its two close friends: proofreading and editing.

These are two inseparable parts of wordsmithing and, I would argue, where most of the “smithing” is done. You write your text, whether 10 or 1,000 words, but it is merely a rough representation of what the final product should look like (sometimes, very rough). Like a blacksmith with a hammer, the writer looks at what they’ve created and begins to correct mistakes, rework clumsy sentences, and make sure the message is clear.

While I love creating texts and thinking of what to write, I must admit that proofreading and editing are exciting as well.

Yes, I said it, exciting!

Because it’s a challenge, especially when I’m reviewing my own work. It’s one thing to give your writing to someone else. They look at it without the bias of the author. When I look at my own texts, I need to forget that I’m the creator and read it from the perspective of a regular reader, albeit one with a rather critical eye (what I’m doing now with the post).

The challenge is not in the search for vocabulary and grammar mistakes (thanks to Grammarly for helping with that, by the way), but in reading every word carefully to make sure the text achieves its purpose and that all words fit together. It means checking that words don’t get repeated too often or that the tone remains the same from start to finish.

You don’t want to write “Hey there!” at the beginning, but then use a phrase like “The report indicates a positive growth in sales for the last quarter, thanks to the dedicated work of employees such as you.” The tones are mixed and it’ll sound weird to the reader.

Here’s my wordsmithing process:

1. Study the tone of voice and rules of a client or organization. If I am the client (like in this post), then I decide what my personal tone is.
2. If I’m the author, I write the first draft of the text.
3. If I’m the editor, I read through the whole text, making mental notes of problem areas.
4. If I’m writing, I take a break before reading. This is important to give myself a chance to reset before editing.
5. I start making edits and corrections. I smith the words to work in the way they need in order to convey the message.
6. I take a break, then repeat step 5, combing through the text again to check my edits.
7. When I’m convinced the text is ready, I send it to the client for review or publish it if I’m the author.

I never skip editing and review.

If you want to provide readers with quality texts and increase your visibility, proofreading and editing are essential.